Arts and Humanities Commons^™

For Prize Or Patriotism: The Understood Role Of Privateers In The American Revolution, Jay F. Feyerabend

James Blair Historical Review

This article assess the general effectiveness of privateers (as understood by their contemporaries) versus the understood effectiveness of the Continental Navy, building a clearer picture of the role privateers played during the early periods of the American Revolution. Additionally, it will examine the various perceptions of the role of privateers, and how those perceptions differed among politicians in the Continental Congress, military officials, and the privateers themselves to explain how privateers considered the act of Privateering to be a fiscal practice while the Continental Congress recognized privateers to be more of a militant group.